A 15-year-old Menifee boy was bitten March 5 when he tried to pick up a baby rattlesnake on a sports field at Paloma Valley High School.

And he wasnât even the first snakebite victim of the year.

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Dr. Sean Bush, a venom specialist at Loma Linda University Medical Center, said he treated a rattlesnake bite victim in early February and has seen a handful of other cases, including the Menifee teen, this month.

âThatâs more than usual,â he said.

Typically, Bush said, he doesnât see rattlesnake bites until mid-March.

Elin Motherhead, a resident of the Santa Rosa Plateau west of Murrieta, said at least three dogs have been bitten by rattlesnakes this month in her neighborhood.

Motherhead, who has lived in the area for 20 years and organizes clinics in which dogs are trained to avoid rattlesnakes, said there have been several sightings on the plateau, including a rattler in her neighborâs garage.

William Hayes, a rattlesnake researcher and professor of biology at Loma Linda University, said itâs no surprise that people have encountered rattlesnakes this year, considering the weather.

âAnytime you have a warm spell in Southern California, the rattlesnakes will come out,â Hayes said.

Southern Pacific and red diamond are the most common Inland rattlesnakes, and speckled rattlesnakes can be found in rocky areas, he said.

Rattlesnakes go into a dormant, hibernation-like state called brumation during the coldest months, Hayes said. But even during the winter, he said, âyouâre going to get a few bites.â

Most rattlesnake bites happen during the mating season, from March through May, when male snakes are roaming in search of females, Hayes said.

In the summer, the snakes tend to come out at night, he said. Summer days are too hot for rattlesnakes â" body temperatures exceeding 100 degrees can be lethal.

Hayes said the No. 1 way to avoid a bite is obvious: âDonât pick âem up.â

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